Philosophy & Approach

School Philosophy

General Approach to Learning:
Play-Based, Montessori

From the Director:

We provide an individualized curriculum that meets the needs of the specific children in the group. There is a strong emphasis on self care, increasingly independent functioning, and the internalization of controls. We help children put their feelings into words, use their own good thinking, and make choices based on what will make them feel good about themselves. We build language and writing skills into all aspects of the curriculum and use a lot of teacher and children made books. We teach numbers and math using concrete materials, allowing the children to discover math concepts as they explore the wide variety of manipulatives provided. An "emergent curriculum" approach is used for social studies, science, and art.

Quality of Teaching

Individualized Teaching: From the Director

Expectations during free play and groups are adjusted according to a child's level. Each child has his own "plan" and teachers help other children understand that "what another child is doing is 'just right' for him and what you are doing is 'just right' for you." Advanced children are given "jobs" (eg challenging activities at the manipulatives table) to do according to their level. Some children complete systematic reading packets (eg SRA).

Day in the Life

General School Mission

At Hanna Perkins, we believe that personality development during the early years is the foundation out of which all later abilities to learn, work, form healthy relationships and enjoy life are realized. We recognize that caring relationships and respect for feelings are central to all other learning. We work together with parents to help children make a good transition into school and we build awareness of and talk about feelings into the curriculum.

A Typical Day

Our Preschool Class is five days a week, from 9:15-1:00pm Mon-Thurs and 9:15-12:00 on Fridays.

9:15-9:30 Parents settle their children in
9:30-10:30 Free Activity Time
10:30-10:45 Clean up and snack
10:45-11:05 Learning Groups or Music
11:05-11:35 Outdoor Play
11:35-11:50 Story Groups
11:50-12:20 Lunch served family style
12:20-12:30 Table Activities
12:30-1:00 Afternoon Groups (Science, cooking,
math & reading readiness, gross
motor games in the gym)

Home-School Connection

Home-School Connection: From the Director

Parents get to know their child's teacher and help their child settle in to school by spending time in the classroom for the first several days and only gradually moving out to the waiting room and then leaving the building for increasing periods of time. Once the child is settled in, the parent has daily contact with the teacher and phone calls after school as indicated. Every parent has the opportunity to meet weekly with a child development specialist to discuss their child's development throughout the time their child is in the school. When parents have concerns about their child's behavior, the specialists can help them find ways to identify the feelings behind the behaviors and use that understanding to figure out how to help their child with the feelings.

Separation

Separation is Handled through:

Pre-entry meetings with parents at school

Parents in classroom early on

Abbreviated schedule at start of school year

Handling Separation: From the Director

The settling in period is very individualized and teachers work closely with parents around the handling of separation feelings. The teachers are alert to times when a child is missing his or her parent and will help the child write a note to or call the parent on the phone. Sometimes the teachers say that the first part of the school's curriculum involves helping children discover that they can enjoy school and miss their parent at the same time.

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